Surface Finds at Jabeeb Summer 2004
Surface Finds at Jabeeb Summer 2004
During the summer of 2004, members made three weekend trips to the dunes beyond the new camel race track and farms at Jabeeb.
Between the forage crop farms, about four kilometers beyond the new water storage tank, and the Iron Age site recorded in 1989, members found an area where there appeared to have been a majlis populated by women and, about one hundred meters to the west, the litter from what appears to be a hunting campsite.
At the women's majlis area, members recovered dozens of fragments of glass bracelets. At the Al Ain Museum, similar bracelets are reportedly from the Hili period. Also recovered were several glass kohl applicators, at least one in almost perfect condition. A few pieces of silver jewellery, a variety of coins, miscellaneous pieces of blown glass and pottery were also recorded and recovered.
At the hunting campsite, one of the most unusual finds was a cooking pot that had been glued back together but discarded when it fractured again. The pot was likely less than 100 years old. Nearby were several empty cartridge casings (brass) typical of the large-calibre cartridges used up until a few decades ago. Lead bullets were also recovered. Typically individuals would re-use casings and, if possible, recover bullets from slain wildlife. If bullets could not be recovered, individuals would make their own by shaping lead into the appropriate form, often using a mold.
The pottery at the site covered a very large period. There were some fragments of Iron Age pottery, some Chinese porcelain and pottery of more recent manufacture.
There were a few beads, including one specimen of the white round beads found elsewhere in the Jabeeb area. There were also several fragments of much larger beads of blue and green glass and one piece of yellow glass with serrations along one side, perhaps a fragment of a comb.
The animal, fish and shell remains suggest the site had been occupied over a number of years.
Below are images of some of the items recovered. All have been shown to the Al Ain Museum and the location recorded in the national record of sites. The Jabeeb area is under threat from camel farms, camel racing, new water tanks and pipelines, well drilling and other activity.
Several years ago, Dr. Walid of the Al Ain Museum located a fallaj system in the Jabeeb area. However, with the amount of work done in the area, the site has not been located and may, in fact, have been destroyed as dunes were levelled, roads constructed and pipelines installed.
